# Old Apple monitor on a PC?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [August 12, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589 "2002-08-12T20:10:02Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589/1 "2002-08-12T20:10:02Z")

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Should i just chuck it back to the dumpster it came from,or is there a way to use it with my PC?

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**Author:** ![Nametag](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nametag/32/406_2.png) [@Nametag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nametag)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 9:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589/2 "2002-08-12T21:11:03Z")

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It rather depends on what kind of Apple monitor you’re talking about, but if it’s old, it’s probably the old Apple Monitor Connector interface; the AMC can be connected to a VGA card using an adapter:  
[http://www.ati.com/support/connectors/monitorconnectors/amcconnections.html](http://www.ati.com/support/connectors/monitorconnectors/amcconnections.html)

However, such things are rare; it’s more common to attach PC accessories to a Mac.

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**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589/3 "2002-08-12T21:17:34Z")

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How old is “old”? Some people call a 486 old, but to people like me who have PDP-11 and vax computers in their basement a 486 is pretty darn new.

I know some of the “old” apple macs right after the ones with the built in screen worked with VGA monitors. If it is from that era it is probably standard VGA, can do probably 640x480 resolution but will work with a PC. If it is older than that, then it probably won’t work with a PC. On the other hand, if it is that old some antique computer collector might be interested in giving you a few bucks for it.

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**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\
**Post date:** [August 12, 2002, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589/4 "2002-08-12T22:13:17Z")

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Depends on what kinda of monitor plug it has.

If its 15 pins, then youd have to find an adapter, 15pins to vga (if your computer has a vga card).  
I used a vga monitor with an old mac computer buy buying a vgato15pin adapter.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![effac3d](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b487fb/32.png) [@effac3d](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/effac3d)\
**Post date:** [August 13, 2002, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/old-apple-monitor-on-a-pc/123589/5 "2002-08-13T08:17:06Z")

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If it helps i did a little looking and this is it:

[http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=tam&page=display&subpage=misc\_rgb&skin=dis](http://www.theapplemuseum.com/index.php?id=tam&page=display&subpage=misc_rgb&skin=dis)  
The value of the monitor doesn’t really matter,it is just sort of the cool factor of hooking up an Apple monitor to a PC. 🙂